JUMP lets UK users switch phones while on contract

Phones4u, one of the UK’s largest independent mobile phone retailers, has unveiled a program which lets you upgrade to a new phone every six months, regardless of your carrier contract.

While being able to rub the latest iPhone or Android device in your friends’ faces every six months does sound enticing, the new service does some weight to your monthly phone bill.

Until now, the only way to get a new phone (if you’re on contract), is to wait for your contract to expire, purchase it retail, or purchase another contract. Just Upgrade My Phone (JUMP) allows you to split your contract into two separate agreements, one in which you pay for the network, the other for the handset. Every six months, you can turn in your phone for a price bump towards the handset portion of your contract.

There are, however, several caveats worth noting about the JUMP contract. Each jump, in addition to raising your monthly cost by a variable amount, automatically extends your contract commitment by two years. If you decide not to turn in your old phone, the price of your new handset (whether its full retail or at discount is at the discretion of phones4u) will be distributed across the remainder of your contract.

After all is said and done, you’re looking at shelling out significantly more in the long run, but if you can stomach the price tag, you’ll always be sporting the latest and greatest. Check out JUMP here.